Travel to Artemivsk in Ukraine, Travel Destinations

The City of Artemivsk in Ukraine

Artemivsk, formerly known as Bachmut, is the administrative center for the Artemivsky Raion. It was in 1571 that Bachmut was first established and it was in the late 18th century that it moved up to the status of ‘City’ in the year 1783. The name ‘Bachmut’ was based on the beautiful Bachmutka River, which still lies about 89 kilometers from the Donetsk Oblast. It was not until 1924 that Bachmut city had its name formally changed to Artemivsk. This was done in honor of one of the most famed Russian revolutionary figures, known as Artem. Since 2005 the city has boasted a population made up of over 80,655 people.

Artemivsk is known as a prosperous city and it consists of suburbs such as Chasiv Yar and Soledar which fall under the care of the Artemivsk municipality. Notably the Artemivsk municipality has a cultural and administrative link to Omaha in Nebraska.

It is within this city as well as other areas in Ukraine that you will come across a major crisis, which seems to be escalating - orphanages. Unfortunately, the devastation caused by abandonment can still be seen vividly in many of these children’s eyes. However, it must be noted that the support that is provided by wonderful orphanage staff memebers with huge hearts, even when they themselves may have very little.

Unlike many of the orphanages within Ukraine, Artemivsk is considered to be relatively small in comparison and is controlled or looked after by a dedicated group of people that call their organization ‘Operation Ukraine’. Consider ‘The interant’, a house which looks after children ranging from the ages of seven years to sixteen years of age, making up to 140 children altogether. In other areas of Ukraine, comparing similar age groups you will find homes housing up to two hundred to three hundred children at one time. Artemivsk is also home to children of much younger ages and an example is ‘the baby house’ which looks after about sixty to sixty-five children from the tender age of naught to three.

Although the abandonment or the circumstances that bring most of these children to this sad point seems never ending, these wonderful caregivers that sacrifice time, energy, love and comfortable living in the desire to give hope to these little lives who’ve had to start life a little differently to most of us are deserving of thanks.